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US 9,070,476 B2Granted
Refresh circuits
AssigneeSK hynix Inc.
InventorDong Kyun Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A refresh circuit includes a period signal generation circuit configured to drive a control node according to a level of the control node, discharge first and second currents from the control node in response to the first temperature signal, and generate a period signal, a division signal generator configured to divide the period signal to generate a first division signal and a second division signal, and a selector configured to select one of the first and second division signals in response to a second temperature signal and for outputting the selected division signal as a refresh signal.
Claims28
A refresh circuit comprising:
- a period signal generation circuit configured to drive a control node according to a voltage level of the control node and generate first and second currents from the control node in response to a first temperature signal, the period signal generation circuit generating a period signal based on the first and second currents generated;
- a division signal generator configured to divide the period signal to generate a first division signal and a second division signal;
- and
- a selector configured to select one of the first and second division signals in response to a second temperature signal and to output the selected division signal as a refresh signal,
- wherein the period signal generation circuit is configured to generate the first current when the first temperature signal has a first level, and to generate the second current when the first temperature signal has a second level.
2 more elements
A refresh circuit comprising:
- a period signal generation circuit configured to drive a control node according to a voltage level of the control node and generate a period signal based on first and second currents discharged from the control node;
- a division signal generator configured to divide the period signal to generate a first division signal and a second division signal;
- and
- a selector configured to select one of the first and second division signals in response to a temperature signal and output the selected division signal as a refresh signal,
- wherein a total current of the first and second currents is substantially constant when an internal temperature of the period signal generation circuit is below a first predetermined temperature, and the total current of the first and second currents varies as the internal temperature increases above the first predetermined temperature, and
- wherein the period signal generation circuit includes a first discharger coupled to the control node and configured to generate the first current by discharging the control node in response to an enable signal and a second discharger coupled to the control node and configured to generate the second current by discharging the control node in response to the enable signal.
3 more elements
A refresh circuit comprising:
- a control node configured to store charges and output first and second currents;
- a period signal generation circuit configured to generate a period signal that is based on the first and second currents output by the control node;
- a division signal generator configured to divide the period signal to generate a first division signal and a second division signal;
- and
- a selector configured to select one of the first and second division signals in response to a temperature signal and output the selected division signal as a refresh signal for a memory cell,
- wherein a sum of the first and second currents is substantially constant if a temperature associated with the memory cell is below a first temperature, and the sum of the first and second currents varies as the temperature associated with the memory cell increases above the first temperature, and
- wherein the period signal generation circuit includes a first discharger coupled to the control node and configured to generate the first current by discharging the control node in response to an enable signal and a second discharger coupled to the control node and configured to generate the second current by discharging the control node in response to the enable signal.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.